evolution
exercised a profound, even a disastrous, effect upon him. For once his
fine intellect failed to discriminate between the essentials and the
non-essentials of a great question. His horror at the atrocities of
the Revolution blinded him to all the advantages that {285} the success
of the Revolution brought with it. The whole framework of that great
event was to him so hideously stained with the blood of the Queen, with
the blood of so many innocent persons, that he could see nothing but
the blood, and the influence of this is to be noticed in Burke's final
speech with its almost confident expectation that the guillotine would
sooner or later be established in England. Burke's frenzy against the
French Revolution made it appear to many as if his reasoned and careful
indictment of the erring Governor-General might after all be only mere
frenzy too.

[Sidenote: 1788-95--Acquittal of Hastings]

Such as it was, and under such conditions, the trial did come to an end
at last, after such alternations of brilliant speeches and dull
speeches as the world had never witnessed before. Sheridan again added
to his fame by a speech of which, unhappily, we are able to form no
very clear idea. Law defended Hastings in detailing the whole of the
history of Hindostan. Hastings again and again appealed piteously and
pathetically that the trial might be brought somehow or other to an
end. He was growing old, he had been for years a nominal prisoner, he
was very anxious that the terrible strain of waiting upon the slow
proceedings of the tribunal should be relieved. At last the end came
after weary years of controversy, in which Hastings had been loaded
with more contumely and lauded with more extravagance than it were
possible to conceive him good enough or bad enough to deserve.
Finally, in the April of 1795, Warren Hastings was acquitted by a large
majority on every one of the sixteen counts against him that were put
to the vote. Burke could not conceal his chagrin at this unexpected
result. He had expected, he declared afterwards, that the corruption
of the age would enable Hastings to escape on some of the counts, but
he was not prepared for the total acquittal. It is probable that
Hastings himself was not prepared for it, but the relief it afforded
him was tempered by the grave financial difficulties into which he
found himself plunged. The conduct of that long defence had well-nigh
exhausted all his available re